Putting Xultun on the Map

Summary

This poster shall illustrate the several different mapping phases of the archaeological site of Xultun, Guatemala in order to demonstrate how the mapping process has significantly altered our understanding of the site. Xultun was first surveyed by Sylvanus Morely in the 1920’s whose maps included a handful of structures and stelae. The site remained largely uninvestigated for the next 50 years until Von Euw expanded the map, through his epigraphic work for the Peabody Museum. Xultun’s map did not undergo major changes until 2008 when an archaeological team led by William Saturno began to remap and digitize the previously documented structures. During this past field season, our survey team expanded the map by an additional 800m2. Due to the survey work at Xultun, what was once considered a mere handful of ruins deep within the Petén is now viewed as a large, "traditional" Classic period site, with long king lists, ball courts, precise astronomical counts and even a colorful mural. This site is now thought to have supported a population into the thousands and could have had significant interactions with other major centers in the Maya lowlands.

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